The Final Voyage
by memory.woman
Summary: Susan returns to Narnia with Edmund, Lucy, and Eustace and makes the Voyage of the Dawn Treader with them, and with King Caspian X, whom she had never forgotten or stopped loving. Susan/Caspian. R&R! Thanks!
1. The Picture in the Bedroom

**Basically, this story is a _Dawn Treader _rewrite, Susan included.  
Hope you enjoy it, &thanks for reading!**

* * *

"This is quite possibly going to be the worst summer of my whole entire bitter existence."

Susan rolled over on her bed in the room that she shared with her sister Lucy in their dreadful cousin Eustace's house so that she was looking up at the ceiling. The two girls and their brother Edmund were subject to spend their whole summer there while Peter was continuing his studies with Professor Kirke and their parents were in America for Mr. Pevensie's work. She stared up at a picture that hung on the wall. The painting had a ship sailing in the rolling open sea, and it seemed, at least to Susan, and to her siblings as well, as though it had much more life and personality than any other painting they had ever seen before. She felt as though it actually breathed.

"It's dreadful luck that we all couldn't go to America with mum and dad," Edmund said.

"Too bad plane tickets were ghastly expensive and we ended up getting stuck _here_," Susan said miserably.

"Anything would be better than being stuck in this old coup."

"I do wish we could go back to Narnia," Lucy willed.

"That would help greatly," Edmund agreed.

"But you heard Aslan, I can't go back to—" Susan began.

"Where the blazes is Narnia?" an annoying voice interjected.

"Ugh…Eustace," the girls sighed in unison.

"It must be the most ghastly place ever, if you lot seem to enjoy it." Their cousin Eustace entered the room, and Susan could have sworn that the temperature dropped a couple degrees. The whole mood of the room became even more glum and miserable than it already was, for Eustace was quite a sour soul.

"Just ignore the idiot," Edmund said loudly. "Maybe he'll get the hint that we hate him and he'll go away."

But Eustace did not get the hint that he was not liked, or if he did he ignored it, and he thus remained and continued to annoy his poor cousins.

"Do you like that painting on the wall?" he asked as he saw Lucy looking at it. "The one of the ship?"

"Don't get him started on art and all…" Edmund began, but he was too late, for Lucy began to answer.

"Yes, I do. It's a very nice painting," Lucy said.

"It's a horrible picture."

"Well, then, you won't see it if you step outside," Susan jeered.

"Why do you like it?" Eustace continued, ignoring Susan.

"It feels as though it's alive," Lucy answered. "The ship looks like it really is moving, and the water looks as though it really is wet. Even the people look like they are real. I do believe the picture is very much alive."

Eustace opened his mouth to make some sort of nasty remark to his young cousin's answer, but he did not, for in that very moment that he looked at the painting on the wall, it seemed as though the ship really _was_ moving. And then, all of them were certain of it now, the things in the painting _were_ moving. The colors were real and the images sharp, as though they were no longer painted on a canvas but a real ship sailing on the real sea. A wave crashed on the deck of the ship and all four of the children could feel its spray upon their faces. Susan, Edmund, and Lucy smiled; Eustace felt seasick. Then came the smell of the sea, salty and fresh. They knew now that this was so much more than just a painting.

"Blast it all!" Eustace cried as a cold wave slapped the children across the face and left them rather breathless. "I'll break the thing!"

He was then flying at the painting.

"Stop it!" Edmund yelled, pulling his cousin back by his collar.

"Edmund, don't hurt him!" Susan cried, grabbing Edmund by the shoulder.

"Susan!" Lucy called with surprise, grabbing her sister's hand.

And then, either the children became much smaller or the painting became much larger, for they found themselves inside of it. All four of them fell into the cold sea together, very near to the large, teetering ship. Luckily, all of them could swim, Susan being excellent in the water and Lucy a recently learned swimmer.

A white figure dove from the ship into the sea and a rope was tossed in after it. Susan, Edmund, and Lucy found their way to the rope and began to scale the ship as the rope was lifted, and the diver who had rescued Eustace soon joined them. Eustace had begun to panic, thus making him swim poorly and being to drown, due to the fact that he was a sheltered boy who had never been on such great adventures like the Pevensies had.

All five of them stumbled on board of the ship, Lucy coughing up some water, Edmund brushing off his clothes, Susan wringing out her hair, Eustace trying to catch his breath, and the tall white figure standing and looking rather smug with himself.

"Caspian!" exclaimed Lucy. For the figure was, in fact, none other than King Caspian X himself.

"Hello, dear one," he said, kneeling to embrace Lucy.

Edmund then walked over to him, and the two shared a handshake that turned into a hug.

"Jolly good to see you again, mate," Edmund smiled.

"I'm glad that you have returned."

"How long has it been since we've left?"

"Three years."

"How's it been?"

"Everything is perfect, which is why I'm at sea, of course. I wouldn't have left if it had been otherwise. Trumpkin and Trufflehunter are back at Cair Paravel ruling in my stead while I am gone."

Caspian's eyes then wondered from Edmunds face to his left. He saw a pale figure standing there, its skin radiating beauty. It stood uncomfortably towards the starboard side of the ship, the side that the company had boarded from. Caspian reckoned that it had been standing there ever since, quite unnoticed and out of the way from observation, by choice rather than chance. Blue eyes looked upon him shyly as he gawked at them in utter astonishment and shock.

"Hello," Susan said sheepishly.

"Hello," Caspian said to her. He walked over to her and placed his hands on her shoulders. "Is this a dream?" he asked softly.

"I'm afraid not," Susan smiled back.

"Right, then," Caspian said, removing his hands from her shoulders.

"Excuse me," an annoying voice spoke up, "but is there any way that I can go back? I don't want to be on this beastly voyage, and I especially don't want to be stuck here with _them_," Eustace said, pointing at his cousins.

"Let you go back?" Caspian answered. "Well, I suppose you can give it a go, if you're willing to go back into the sea in the hopes of getting there."

Eustace became rather quiet and uncomfortable. He was bitter and angry as he realized that there was no certain way back to his home. He then turned away from the company and was taken by surprise, for he saw a rather curious creature that had emerged from below the deck slowly approaching them. It was a mouse, one that stood on its hind legs, and it was much larger than any mouse that the sheltered Eustace had ever seen before. It was about two feet tall. A thin gold band was around his ear, and in it was stuck a long crimson feather. His left paw rested on the hilt of a sword, or rather, a small knife that was the proportion of a sword to a mouse. His manners and walk were very courtly, for the mouse was Reepicheep, the most valiant of all the mice in Narnia, and perhaps the most valiant Talking Beast. He put his left foot forward and swept into a deep bow to the Pevensies.

"What on earth is _that?"_ Eustace cried in disgust. "Ugh, get it away! I hate mice! And I never could bear performing animals. They're silly, and vulgar, and – ugh!"

"Am I to understand," a small, somewhat squeaky but very confident voice began, "that this singularly discourteous person is under the protection of Your Majesties? Because if not—"

Rather timely, Susan and Lucy both sneezed, and Edmund coughed.

"How foolish of me!" Caspian suddenly exclaimed. "All this time I've kept you all standing here, wet and shivering! Aye, Rynelf! Would you be so kind as to get some spiced wine for Their Majesties?"

Rynelf soon returned with steaming spiced wine, and when the children drank, they could feel the drink's warmth spreading to their toes. Eustace, however, spat the stuff back out, finding it rather distasteful and demanding to be dropped of at the very next bit of land that they came across.

"What a merry shipmate you've brought us," Caspian whispered to Edmund with a chuckle.

"You should listen to him," Edmund replied solemnly. "The sooner we're rid of his company, the better."

Lucy, then, having drained her flagon of the spiced wine, began to shiver, and the sound of her clattering teeth drew Caspian's attention.

"Come on below, you lot," he addressed them all, "and we shall get some fresh and dry clothes. I'm afraid there are no women's clothes on board, Queens Susan and Lucy, so you'll have to make do with some of mine."

They were lead below by Rynelf. Caspian brought up the rear and Susan was in front of him. He placed his hand on her back as they went below.

"I thought you weren't coming back," he whispered so that only she could hear.

"So did I," she responded.

And she was quite vexed that she would never return to Narnia again. For a year ago, when the Pevensies had returned to Narnia and met Caspian for the first time, Susan and her brother Peter were told by Aslan that they would not be able to come back to again. Susan had seen such a talk coming, for they were getting a bit old, but this had not made the news any better or easier to take. She sat alone in her room back in England for many a night, sobbing over the fact that she would never return to the beautiful land of Narnia, and she cried especially hard when she thought of Caspian, for she had grown to love him very much. She had nearly moved on from Narnia when she was swept into the land once more by a picture frame. She did not understand by what circumstances she found herself in Narnia, but there she was.

The company then approached a door with a flat gold image of Aslan on it. Caspian brushed past the crowd and opened it.

"This will be your room while you're here, Susan," Caspian said. He rummaged through his things to find some clothes. "Here, wear these," he said, tossing a pair of his pants and a shirt to her. "If you leave you're clothes outside the door, I'll see that they're taken to the galley to dry."

"Thank you," Susan smiled.

"I'll leave you to change, then," Caspian said, and he was heading towards the door. At the last second her turned to face Susan once more. "Susan?"

"Yes?" she quickly responded.

"I'm glad you're back."

Susan smiled. "So am I."

Caspian left, and Susan dressed into his warm, dry clothes. She took in the beauty of the chambers and reckoned that they belonged to none other than Caspian himself. There were three square windows that look at the swirling blue water astern, and low, cushioned benches around three sides of a table. An exquisite, detailed lamp of silver, which was obviously dwarf made, hung overhead. The bed across from the table was large and plush, furnished with large pillows and blankets of crimson and gold.

When she had finished dressing, Susan walked over to the middle window and watched the water rushing past the ship and took a deep, long breath. She felt quite certain that she was in for a lovely time.


	2. On Board the Dawn Treader

"Ah, there you are, Susan," Caspian smiled as Susan stumbled into the ship's galley. "We were just waiting for you. This is my captain, Lord Drinian."

A dark haired man went down on one knee and kissed her hand. "Pleased to meet you, my Lady," he smiled.

"The pleasure is all mine," Susan said kindly. Looking around, she saw that the only others present were Lucy, Edmund, and Reepicheep. "Where is Eustace?"

"In bed," said Edmund, "and I don't think that we can do anything for him. If you try to be nice, it only seems to make things worse."

"Funny, Eustace is so terrible that he can't understand what it is to be kind."

"Meanwhile," Caspian said, "we all need to have a word."

"Yes, we do," Edmund and Lucy agreed.

"Where are we headed for?" Susan questioned.

"That is a rather long story," Caspian answered. "Perhaps you remember my dreadful uncle Miraz? Well, when he was trying to gain the throne of Narnia, he got rid of seven of my father's friends by sending them off to explore the unknown Eastern Seas beyond the Lone Islands."

"None of them ever came back," Susan observed.

"Right. Well, I swore, with Aslan's approval, of course, that once peace was established in Narnia, I would sail east to either find my father's friends or learn of their deaths, and avenge them if at all possible. Their names were Lord Revilian, Lord Bern, Lord Argoz, Lord Mavramorn, Lord Octesian, Lord Restimar, and Lord Rhoop. Rescuing them is my main intention,"

"But I have another one."

All eyes were then turned to the mouse, for it was he who had spoken.

Reepicheep continued, "I expect to find Aslan's country at the end of the world, for he always comes to us from the far east across the sea, and I have a great hankering to see such a land."

"My, that _is _an idea," Edmund said, rather bewildered by the thought of seeing where Aslan came from.

"But do you think that Aslan's country will be the sort that you can sail to?" Lucy asked.

"I do not know, but I plan to sail as far east as I can in the hopes of finding it."

After a brief moment's silence, Susan said, "Where exactly are we?"

Drinian got out his chart and spread it on the table. "Here we are," he said, pointing to their current location. "Or at least that's where we were at noon today. We had a fair bit of wind from Cair Paravel and stood north of Galma for a day. We then went to Galma and were at port for a week while His Majesty had a tournament. He unhorsed many knights and we thought the duke of Galma would have been pleased of the King would have married his daughter, but nothing came of that—"

Caspian looked to Susan, and explained. "Squints, had freckles. Not a pretty sight at all."

Susan laughed.

"Then we sailed from Galma," Drinian continued, "and made it to Terebinthia four days later. A pirate schooner overhauled us after we sailed out of Terebinthia, but she saw us well armed and stood off. In five days more, we were in sight of Muil. From there, we rowed to the island of Brenn, where we were very well wined and dined. We left there six days ago and have made such good speed that I hope to see the Lone Islands tomorrow evening."

"And after the Lone Islands?" asked Susan.

"No one knows, Your Majesty," Drinian said, "unless the Lone Islanders can tell us themselves."

"Then the real adventure begins," smiled Reepicheep.

Caspian then suggested that a tour be taken of the ship so that the Kings and Queens of Old could become more familiar with it. He bowed to Susan and offered her his arm, which she took, and he began to show the company over the ship.

Lucy said that she wished to see their cousin Eustace, for she knew seasickness to be quite dreadful and wanted to help him. Caspian planed to first lead them below so that they could see Eustace.

"If only I had my cordial with me," Lucy wished.

"Oh, I had almost forgotten!" Caspian exclaimed. "As you left it behind, I thought it might be regarded as a sort of royal treasure, and so I brought it."

"Oh, good!" Lucy cried. "Only a drop and Eustace's seasickness will be better."

Caspian left for a moment and fetched from his chambers, which were now Susan's, the beautiful diamond flask and brought it back to Lucy.

He led them down a ladder into the after hatch. They found themselves in a place where benched for rowing ran from side to side and the moon's light came in through the oar holes. There was a space under the benches for the rower's feet, but all down the center there was a sort of pit, which went down to the keel and was filled with all sorts of food. From the roof hung hammocks in which some men were asleep. Caspian lead them, stepping from bench to bench, Susan still holding his arm. They then came to a partition with a door in it, which Caspian opened and lead them through. The room they entered was a cabin, with low, sloping sides and windows that were submerged in the water.

"Edmund, you and I will lodge here," Caspian said. "Susan will have my chambers, of course, and Lucy will have the starboard cabin above, and Drinian and Rhince (the shipmate) will remain in the port cabin."

"But I couldn't take your cabin from you, my King, with the knowledge that you will be resting here," Susan said, feeling bad that Caspian was giving up his lovely room on board for her.

"Nonsense," Caspian smiled. "I wouldn't have you sleeping down here. I will lie very snug in here."

Seeing that there was no arguing, Susan smiled to him in gratefulness.

"Our poor cousin!" the kindhearted Lucy exclaimed at the sight of Eustace. His face was rather green.

Eustace sat up and turned to Drinian. "Is there any sign of the storm lessening?" He asked.

Drinian laughed. "What storm? This is as fair weather as a man could ask for!"

Eustace groaned quite miserably, and Lucy was at his side with her cordial. "I've brought you something that will make you feel better," she said gently.

"Go away and leave me alone," he grumbled.

"Really, does he have to be so rotten?" Caspian whispered to Susan.

"You've yet to see the worst of it," Susan whispered back.

Lucy, somehow, got Eustace to take a drop of the healing draught, and though he said it was rather horrible stuff, his face became much less green and he stopped wailing about the storm that only he was experiencing. He, instead, began to beg and demand to be put ashore at the next bit of land the voyagers saw. Eustace, after much coaxing, agreed to put on some clothes and come and see the rest of the ship with his cousins, Reepicheep, to his dismay, and Caspian.

Caspian lead them up to the forecastle, where they met the look-out man standing on a little shelf inside the dragon's neck (the prow of the ship was a dragon's head) and peering into its open mouth. Inside the forecastle was the galley, which is like a ship's kitchen, and quarters for the boatswain, the carpenter, the cook, and the master archer. They were then taken to the poop, where Rhince was on duty, and behind that the dragon's tail rose up, covered with gilding, and round inside it was a small bench. The name of the ship was _Dawn Treader_. She was a small ship, for the Narnians had lost the skill of sailing when the Kings and Queen of Old left Narnia many years ago, but she was a perfect ship for the task that was at hand.

As they had now seen all of the ship, it had grown very late. Lucy was yawning wildly, and the company thought it best to catch some sleep before the next day approached. Each said their long and sweet goodnights, save for Eustace, and retired to their appropriate cabins.

"May I escort you, my fair lady, to your chambers?" Caspian asked Susan as she was heading off, once again extending his arm.

"You may," she smiled, taking it.

Though it was a short way, Susan was glad of the company, especially since it was Caspian's. She had been longing to speak with him ever since she had seen him when they first stood aboard the _Dawn Treader_. It was, however, Caspian who spoke first.

"Have you enjoyed being back in your home?" he asked her gently.

"Not much," Susan confessed. "It is quite a bit boring in comparison with Narnia, one would think." She sighed. "But I did not think I would come back."

"Nor did I," Caspian said. "It saddened me greatly."

Susan turned to face him, for they had now reached the door to her chambers. Caspian took both her hand in his. "But you are hear now," he smiled. "That's all that matters."

Susan, not knowing what to say, only smiled at Caspian.

"Did you think of me often?" he asked after a short moment's silence.

"All the time," she answered quickly. "I am so glad to have come back, and to have stumbled upon you so quickly."

Reepicheep the mouse then walked by rather loudly, quarrelling with Eustace about one thing or another, for the two really did not get along at all. Whatever it was that they were bickering about, it disturbed the moment that Caspian and Susan were sharing.

"Well, then," Caspian said shortly, "I'll let you get some rest."

"Yes, goodnight," Susan said with a smile. She opened the golden door and went straight to bed.

The next morning, the company arose to trouble between Reepicheep and Eustace. Susan, Caspian, Edmund, and Lucy sat around a table having a lovely chat about Cair Paravel and its' rebuilding while breaking their fast. Caspian poured tea for them all and was taking a particularly long time fussing with Susan's when Eustace came running into the room wringing his hands.

"That little brute has half killed me!" he shouted. "I insist on it being kept under control. I could bring action against you, Caspian. I could order you to have it destroyed."

"No you couldn't," Edmund said bluntly, annoyed at Eustace for being so beastly at such an early hour.

Reepicheep then appeared, his sword drawn and his whiskers in a fierce position. He remained, however, polite as he always was.

"I ask your pardons all," he said. "If I had known that he would take refuge here I would have awaited a more reasonable time for his correction."

What had really happened was this. Reepicheep loved to sit in the bulwarks far forwards just beside the dragon's head, gazing out eastward as the ship sailed. He never held on to anything because everyone on board the ship knew that he often lay there and he had very good balance. As Eustace came on deck for a bit of fresh air before heading to the galley for some breakfast, he saw the mouse lying there and thought that he would have a bit of fun with it. He picked Reepicheep up by the tail and swung him around a few times. He was having a lovely time with this trick at first, but then it turned on him, for an angry mouse is quite a fearsome thing to behold. While he was in the air, Reepicheep managed to draw his sword and began jabbing at Eustace's hands. The pain caused Eustace to let go of the mouse's tail. Reepicheep managed to land on his feet and was coming after Eustace, quite angry at having been disturbed. Even now, Reepicheep was still swatting at Eustace, who was doing his best to back away.

"Stop it!" he cried. ""Go away. Put that thing away. It isn't safe. Stop it, I say, or I'll have you muzzled and tied up!"

"Why do you not draw your sword, coward?" Reepicheep jeered.

"I haven't got one!"

"Do you intend to tell me that you are too sheepish to stand and fight?"

"Oh, stop it, both of you!" Susan laughed. She got up from her seat and managed to wrench Reepicheep's sword from his hand, after he swatted at Eustace and hit him on the arm a few times. "Now you leave him alone," she scolded Eustace. "What did he do to harm you?"

Seeing that no one would side with him, Eustace apologized rather bitterly to the mouse and went off with Lucy to have his arm bathed and bandaged. He then retired to his bunk, where he was careful to lay on his unscathed arm.


	3. The Lone Islands

"Land in sight!" a man shouted from the bows.

Susan, who had been having a chat with Rhince on the poop, came gracefully down the ladder and hastened forward. Edmund, Lucy, Caspian, Drinian, and Reepicheep were already at the forecastle, so Susan joined them. It was a bit before noon now, and they had arrived a bit earlier than Drinian had predicted. It was still a bit chilly and the sky remained a bit pale. The sea was a very deep blue, speckled with little white caps of foam, and off in the distance was the westernmost island of the Lone Islands, Felimath. Behind it, the gray slopes of Doorn were just visible."

"Same old Felimath!" exclaimed Lucy.

"Same old Doorn!" Edmund cheered.

"It's been quite some time since we have seen them last," Susan said with a smile.

"Are we to put in here, sir?" Drinian asked, addressing Caspian.

"I shouldn't think there would be much of a good landing on Felimath, Caspian," Edmund said. "It was practically uninhabited in our days and it looks as though it remains so. Most of the people live on Doorn and the small island of Ava."

"Then we'll have to double that cape, I suppose," said Drinian, "and land on Doorn. That'll mean that we'll need to do some rowing."

"I wish we could go and walk in Felimath," Lucy willed, "for I dearly miss its springy grass and happy sheep."

"I'd love to go and stretch my legs too," Caspian said.

"Well, then," Susan suggested, "why shouldn't we go ashore in the boat and send it back, and then we could walk across Felimath and let the _Dawn Treader_ pick us up on the other side?"

The suggestion seemed an excellent one, for the company was quite tired of being confined to the ship, so it was settled.

"You'll come with us, won't you?" Lucy urged Eustace, who had come on deck, his hand still bandaged.

"Anything to get off this blasted boat," Eustace sighed.

"Blasted?" Drinian questioned sharply. "How do you mean?"

"In a civilized country like where I come from," the boy began in his most prim and annoyingly boastful voice, "the ships are so big that when you're inside them, you wouldn't know that you were at sea at all."

"Well if it's so miserable, you might as well stay ashore," Susan retorted.

"Good riddance," said Edmund.

"Will you tell them to lower the boat, Drinian?" Caspian asked.

The King, the mouse, the Pevensies, and Eustace all got into the boat and were pulled into the beach of Felimath. Susan and Lucy were barefoot, of course, their shoes being ruined by the sea when they first arrived in Narnia, and they were quite thankful for this, because the warm sand felt rather pleasant between their toes. It was wonderful to be on the warm ground rather than on the cold ship, and Susan especially enjoyed the earthy smell in the air. Caspian walked by Susan and the two smiled. He offered her his arm, and she took it. They walked together while Lucy and Edmund splashed around on the shore and Reepicheep raced around to exercise his energetic legs and Eustace sulked behind them. It really was a pleasant walk. The larks were even singing.

"Hullo! What's this?" Edmund cried from ahead.

In the green valley that the company had turned to make their descent into, six or seven rough looking men, all armed, were sitting by a tree.

"Don't tell them who we are," Caspian said.

"Why ever not?" asked Susan, a bit worried.

"These men have probably not heard of Narnia in many an age. Perhaps they may not recognize our over-lordship, in which case it may not be safe for them to know me as King."

"We have our swords, Sire," said Reepicheep.

"I know, Reep," Caspian replied, "but if it comes to reclaiming these islands, I would rather do it with a large army."

They were now quite close to the strangers, and one shouted out, "Good afternoon to you!"

"And a good afternoon to you," said Caspian boldly. "Is there still a Governor of the Lone Islands?"

"Certainly there is," the man replied. "His Sufficiency is at Narrowhaven. But come, sit and have a drink with us."

Although none of them liked the look of the rough man, Caspian thanked them and they all sat down. They had hardly raised their cups when the man nodded to his companions and the next thing they knew, they were seized from behind. There was a moment's struggle, but seeing as they were outnumbered, the Narnians were quickly overcome. Only Reepicheep continued to writhe in his captor's arms.

"Careful with that beast!" said the man. "Don't damage him. He'll fetch the best price o' the lot, I shouldn't wonder."

"Coward!" Reepicheep yelled, spitting in the man's face.

"And it can talk! I'll be damned," he said, wiping the spit from his brow with a handkerchief that he pulled from his pocket.

"So that's what you are," Susan said defiantly. "A kidnapper and slaver. I hope you're proud of what a complete scoundrel and murderer you are."

"A lady should know her place," the man said. He walked over to Susan, who was being held back by two of the strong men, and gave her a slap across the face. Caspian struggled quite a bit to get out of his captors' grasp when this happened, but he was unsuccessful. The man grabbed Susan's face and continued, "Don't start with any cheek, miss. The easier you take it, the pleasanter all around, you see? I don't do this for fun. I've got to make a living same as everyone else."

"Where will you take us?" Lucy managed to get out.

"Is there British Consul here?" Eustace asked hopefully.

"A _what_?" the man said, rather confused by what a British Consul-thingy was.

Eustace was about to explain when the slaver said he had had enough of this jabber and commanded his comrades to rope the prisoners together. Reepicheep was the only one that was not roped; he was carried, for he was too much of a struggle to be released from his current position. Reepicheep continued to spit crude remarks at the slaver as the company was lead, but to his dismay, the slaver was not offended by the jeers at all. He was rather perplexed and curious about how the mouse was talking. They soon arrived at a shore and a village nearer the island of Doorn and were forced into a longboat, which would bring them to a rather dirty, bedraggled looking ship close by. At that moment, a fine looking bearded man came out from one of the cottages, probably and pub, and said to the slavers,

"More of your usual wares?"

The slaver bowed and replied, "Yes, if it pleases your Lordship."

"How much for that boy?" he asked, pointing towards Caspian.

"No!" Susan shouted as she writhed in the ropes. Three men jumped at her at once to pull her away from Caspian and contain her. "You cannot take him, wretch!" She spat at his feet before a piece of cloth was tied around her mouth.

"It'll be alright," Caspian said to Susan softly, helping to calm her down.

"I'd say, sir, since he is one of the strongest, I'd take no less than three hundred crescents." The slaver continued as though nothing had happened.

"I'll give you a hundred and fifty," the man said sternly.

"Don't separate us," cried Lucy.

"A hundred and fifty, then," the slaver said, ignoring Lucy as he had Susan.

"Very well, then," the man said happily. "I am sorry that I could not buy you as well, fair maiden," he said to Susan. "

Caspian was soon unroped, and he and his new master said, "This way, lad."

Susan was about to cry out his name, but she was gagged, and she thought it best to keep his name secret. She watched him with sad eyes as he went. Lucy burst into tears and Edmund looked very blank.

They were forced into the boat and taken to the ship, where they were lodged with many other unfortunate prisoners, for the slaver was a pirate and had just returned from abroad. There they sat on the straw, wondering what was happening to Caspian, and tried to stop Eustace from talking as though everyone except himself was to blame.

Meanwhile, Caspian was having a much more interesting time. The man that had bought him was leading him through the village. They passed all the houses and soon came to an opening, where the man stop and addressed Caspian.

"You needn't be afraid, my boy," he said. "I'll treat you well. I bought you for your face, for you remind me of someone I once know."

"May I ask who, my Lord?" Caspian asked.

"You remind me of my master, King Caspian of Narnia."

Caspian then decided to risk everything.

"My Lord, I _am_ your master. I am Caspian, King of Narnia."

"Oh my," the man exclaimed. "But how shall I know this is true?"

"Firstly by my face," said Caspian, "and secondly because I know within six guesses who you are. You are one of the seven lords of Narnia my uncle Miraz sent out to sea and whom I have come hence in search of. Finally, if your Lordship will give me a sword, I will prove that I am Caspian, son of Caspian, lawful king of Narnia, Lord of Cair Paravel, and Emperor of the Lone Islands."

"By heaven," exclaimed the man, "it is as though I look upon the face of your father! My liege – Your Majesty—" he then knelt and kissed Caspian's hand. "I am the Lord Bern, my King."

"My Lord Bern," Caspian said kindly. "We must talk about the state of these islands. But first, what is your own story?"

"I came thus far with my six fellows, loved a girl of the islands, and I felt I had had enough of the sea. There was no purpose of returning to Narnia while your uncle still ruled, so I saw it fit to remain here. I married and have not left since."

"What is the governor like? Does he recognize the King of Narnia as his sovereign?"

"In a sense, yes. But he would not be very pleased to find the real King of Narnia on his island. Your life would be in danger. What following has your Majesty in these waters?"

"There is my ship just rounding the point," Caspian said pointing to the _Dawn Treader._ "We are about thirty swords, if it came to fighting. Shall we not have my ship in and fall upon the slave trader and free my friends whom he holds captive?" He thought of Susan being held by those brutes of men, and urged that Lord Bern would accept, for he wished to rescue Susan as soon as possible.

"Not by my counsel," Bern said. "As soon as here was a fight, tow or three ships would put out from Narrowhaven to rescue the slaver. Your Highness must work by a show of more power than you really have, and by the terror of the King's name. It must not come to battle. The Governor, Gumpas, is a meek man who can be easily overawed."

After a bit more conversation, Caspian and Bern walked down to the coast a bit west of the village, and it was there that Caspian winded his horn. (This was not Queen Susan's magical horn, for he had left that behind at Cair Paravel for Trumpkin to use in case of a great emergency during his absence.) Drinian, who was on the look out for a signal, recognized the royal horn at once and the _Dawn Treader_ began standing in to shore. In a few moments, Caspian and Bern found themselves on deck explaining the situation to Drinian. He wanted to take the slave ship at once in the way that Caspian had wanted, but Bern made the same objection.

"Steer straight down this channel, captain," he said, "and then round to Avra where my own estates are. But first, run up the King's banner, hang out all the shields, and send as many men to the fighting top as you can. And about five bowshots hence, when you get open sea on our port bow, run up a few signals."

"Signals?" Drinian questioned.

"To whom?" Caspian asked.

"Why, to all the other ships we haven't got but which it might be well that Gumpas thinks we have."

"I get it," Caspian said, a smile growing across his face.

Drinian said, "And they'll read our signals. What shall I say? _Whole fleet round the South of Avra and assemble at –?_"

"Bernstead," Bern answered. "That'll do excellently. Their whole journey would be out of sight from Narrowhaven."

Later on towards the evening, having turned to starboard round the northeast end of Doorn and port again around the point of Avra, the _Dawn Treader_ entered into a good harbor on Avra's southern shore where Bern's pleasant lands sloped down to the water's edge. Bern's people, many of whom they saw working in the fields, were all freemen and it was a happy and prosperous fife. Here they all went ashore and were royally feasted in a low, pillared house overlooking the bay. Bern, his gracious wife, and their lovely daughters made them good cheer. They would not carry out their plan until the next day, and Bern sent word over to Doorn by boat to order some preparations for the following day. Caspian went to bed that night, but he did not sleep much. All he could do was eagerly await the dawn, and Susan's rescue and return.


	4. What Caspian Did There

**Mother of God. Sorry it's been so long. First semester of college, rowing, new state...yeahyeahyeah. Trying to write more, I promise. Enjoy!**

**

* * *

**

Next morning, the Lord Bern called his guests early. Caspian was already awake, but the others were a bit more difficult to rouse. After a quick breakfast, Caspian ordered every man he had into full armor. This was done. Then, in three boatloads, Caspian and his people, and Bern and a few of his, put out for Narowhaven. King Caspian's flag flew in the stern of his boat and his trumpeter was with him.

When they reached the jetty at Narrowhaven, Caspian found a rather large crowd assembled to meet them. They were friend of Bern, the ones that he had sent word to the night before, and they were honest people who recognized King Caspian of Narnia as their sovereign. At the same time, bells rang out throughout the town, which Bern had also ordered. Then Caspian caused his banner to be raised and his trumpet to be blown, and every man drew his sword and set his face into a joyful sternness. They marched so that the street shook with their steps and their armor shone in the sun so brightly that one could hardly look at it.

Soon, children joined in with the cheers of Bern's friends, for they rather liked the look of the whole procession and they had seen very few in such splendor. Then all the schoolboys joined in because they also enjoyed the procession, and felt the more noise and disturbance there was, the less likely they would be to have any school that morning. Then all the old women put their heads out of doors and windows and began chattering and cheering because it was a king, and what is a governor to that? The all the young women joined in the cheer for the same reason, and also because Caspian and Drinian and all the rest were very handsome. And then all the young men came to see what all the young women were cheering about, so that by the time Caspian reached the castle gates, nearly the whole town was shouting. Gumpas sat in the castle, muddling and messing with accounts and forms and rules and regulations when he was disturbed by all the ruckus.

Caspian's trumpeter blew his horn at the castle gates, and cried, "Open for the King of Narnia, Caspian the Tenth, come to visit his trusty and well-beloved servant the governor of the Lone Islands." In those days in the Islands, everything was done in a slovenly, slouching manner, and thus, only the little postern opened, and out came a tousled fellow with a dirty old had on his head instead of a helmet, carrying a rusty old pike in his hand.

"No interviews without 'ppointments," he grumbled, rather blinded with the armor of the Caspian's followers, "'cept 'tween nine 'n' ten p.m. second Saturday every month."

"Uncover before Narnia, you dog," Bern boomed as he dealt him a rap with his hand that sent his hat flying from his head.

"'Ere? Wot's it all about?" the doorkeeper began. But no one took any notice of him. Two of Caspian's men stepped through the postern and had the gate flung open soon after. The King and his followers strode into the courtyard. Here a number of the governor's guards were lounging about and tumbling out of doorways. Their armor was in a disgraceful condition, especially when compared to that of the Narnians. Caspian gave their shocked faces no time to think.

"Where is the captain?" he demanded.

" I am he, sir," said a languid and rather dandified person without any armor at all.

"It is our wish that our royal visitation should be, if possible, one of joy. If it were not for that, I would have said something about the state of your men's armor and weapons, but you are pardoned. But at noon tomorrow, I expect to see you looking more like men at arms and less like vagabonds. See to it on pain of my extreme displeasure." Caspian then ordered most of his own men to remain in the courtyard, and he, Bern, Drinian, and four others went into the hall.

His Sufficiency, Gumpas, Governor of the Lone Islands sat behind a table while many secretaries fussed about him. He didn't even bother to look up; he instead continued fussing about the papers that lay piled around him. "No interviews with out an appointment except on the second Saturday of every month between nine and ten p.m.," he said sortly.

Caspian gave Bern a nod and then stood aside. Bern and Drinian stepped forward and each seized an end of the table. They lifted it and flung it on one side of the hall, where it rolled over and scattered a cascade of letters, dossiers, ink-pots, pens, sealing-wax, and documents. Firmly, the gentlemen then plucked Gumpas from his chair and deposited him about four feet away at Caspian's feet. Caspian then walked over to the governor's chair, drew his sword, sat down, and placed its naked blade across his lap.

"You have not quite given us the welcome we would have expected, my Lord," he said. "I am the King of Narnia."

"We have not been notified of any such thing," the governor stammered, but not apologetically. " Nothing about it in the correspondence. Nothing in the minutes. All irregular. Happy to consider any applications—"

"And we are happy to enquire into your _Sufficiency's_ conduct of office. There are two points especially on which I require an explanation, firstly that no due tribute has been paid to Narnia from these islands for about a hundred and fifty years."

"That would be a question to raise with the Council next month," Gumpas said, still very matter-of-factly, without the slightest hint of sorrow or remorse.

"I also find it clearly written in our laws," Caspian continued, "that if the tribute is not received, the whole debt must be paid by the governor out of his private purse."

Gumpas then began to pay real attention. "It is an economic impossibility – er – Your Majesty must be joking." He really wanted to rid himself of these untimely visitors, but he could imagine no such way of doing so.

"Secondly," Caspian continued, "I want to know why you have permitted this abominable and unnatural traffic of slavery to grow up here, contrary to the ancient custom and usage of our dominions."

"Necessary, unavoidable. An essential part of the development of these lands, I assure you."

"What need have you for slaves?"

"Export. Sell 'em. We are a great center of the trade."

"So in other words you do not need them. Tell me what purpose does enslaving the innocent serve except to put money in to the pockets of lesser and wretches of men?"

"Your Majesty's tender years hardly make it possible that you should understand—"

"_Tender_ as my years may be, I believe that I understand the slave trade from within quite as well as you do. And I do not see that it brings these islands and form of sustenance at all. Even if it did, it wouldn't matter. It must be stopped."

"But that would be putting the clock back! Have you no idea of progress, of development?"

"I have seen them both in an egg. We call it 'Going Bad.' This trade must be stopped."

"I can take no responsibility for any such matter."

"Very well, then," Caspian said. "You are relieved of your office. Lord Bern, come here, my good man."

Before Gumpas had realized what was happening, Bern was kneeling at Caspian's feet and was taking the oath to govern the Lone Islands. Caspian named him a duke, for I'm quite certain that the Lone Islands had seen quite enough of governors.

"I forgive you of your debt for the tribute, anyhow," Caspian said, turning back to Gumpas, "but you must see that you and yours are gone from the castle by noon tomorrow, for it is now the Duke's residence."

"Look here," Gumpas began, rather hotheaded now, "this is all very well, but it's time all you gentlemen stop playacting and we do a little business. The question before us really is –"

"Whether you and the rest of your rabble will leave without a flogging or with one," the Duke said. "You may choose which you prefer."

When all of this had been rather pleasantly settled, Caspian ordered horses and with Bern, Drinian, and a few others, and rode out for the slave market. It was a long, low building near the harbor and the scene which they found going on inside was much like any other auction. There was a great crowd, and Pug, the same brutal slaver that caught our friends, was standing on a platform, roaring out in a raucous voice. Susan stood next to Pug, her hands in chains and her eyes round with fear and red with tears. But she was not crying. She stood tall and bold, closing her eyes as the bid for her raised, greedy men naming higher prices each time.

But Pug stopped and gasped and Susan's eyes filled with hope when they saw the mail-clad figures that had clanked up to the platform.

"On your knees, every one of you, for the King of Narnia" Duke Bern said. Most obeyed out of pure shock and fear. Others were pulled down by neighbors. Some cheered.

"Your life is forfeit, Pug," Caspian said, "for laying hands on our royal person yesterday," and looking to Susan he added, "and for auctioning off such a fine woman." Susan smiled at the compliment. He then looked back to Pug. "But your ignorance is pardoned. The slave trade is forbidden in this and all realms of Narnia, effective not but a quarter of an hour ago. Thus, I declare every slave in this market free." The slaves cheered, and Caspian held up his hand to silence them.

He took the keys from Pug's hand and hastened towards Susan. He fussed with each key, stumbling to find the right one that would free Susan. When he finally did, the chains fell to the floor with a _clank_ and he embraced her tightly.

"Are you alright?" he whispered in her ear.

"I am now," she responded.

Caspian then positioned himself between Susan and Pug, as to protect her, and asked, "Where are the rest of my friends?"

"We're here!" Lucy and Edmund cried at once. "At your service, Sire," Reepicheep piped in. The crowd parted to let the three of them out, and there were many hugs and handshakes spared. The two merchants of Calmoren at once approached. They bowed most politely to Caspian ad paid him long compliments, all about the fountains of prosperity irrigating the gardens of prudence and virtue – and things like that – but of course what they wanted was the money they had paid.

"That is only fair," Caspian replied. "Every man who has bought a slave today must have his money back. Pug, bring out your takings to the last minim."

"Does your good Majesty mean to beggar me?" Pug whined.

"You have lived on broken hearts all your life," Susan spoke up with disdain from behind Caspian. "If you _are _beggared, it is better to be a beggar than a slave."

"Where is Eustace?" Lucy chimed in, just as things were about to get heated between Susan and the slaver.

"Oh, _him_?" said Pug. "Take him and welcome. Glad to have him off my hands. Never have I seen such a parasite in the market in all my born days. Threw him in free with other lots and still no one would have him. Tacks, bring out Sulky."

Eustace was produced, and sulky did he look, for though no one would want to be sold as a slave, it is perhaps even more galling to be a sort of utility slave whom no one will purchase. He walked up to Caspian and said, "I see. As usual. Been enjoying yourself somewhere while the rest of us were prisoners. I suppose you haven't even found out about the British Consul. Of course not."

"A simple thank you would suffice," Susan jeered.

"Hmph," Eustace sighed.

That night at the castle of Narrowhaven, there was a great feast, full of merriment and delicious dining. Lord Bern, the island's new governor, sat at Caspian's right, while Susan sat at his left. Many a man asked her to dance with them, and Susan always politely accepted, being a Queen of Old, but in truth, her eyes were only for Caspian. Even when she was dancing with others, she found it quite difficult to keep from giving him smiles, meeting his eyes every time she looked at him.

"Lady Susan is the most beautiful creature in the room," Lord Bern smiled to Caspian. Across the room, Susan was laughing wildly as she spun with Reepicheep to the music.

"I'd daresay in all of Narnia," Caspian mused longingly. "Perhaps ever farther. Perhaps the whole Earth."

"She has quite the eye for you as well, Sir."

"I loved her once," Caspian found himself confessing to his friend. "Some years ago. She loved me, too. But then she left. Not by choice, because she had to. Back to her own world. But still, she was gone. "

"And you love her still," Bern observed. "I can see it in the way you look at her, and in the way your composure changes when she enters the room."

Caspian turned to Lord Bern with an expression of disparity. "Yes; I love her still."

After a moment's silence, Lord Bern said, "You know, my friend Caspian, every King needs a Queen."

King Caspian smiled to his friend and patted him on the shoulder as he got up from his seat at the table. He took a few long strides across the room until he reached Susan and caught her in mid-dance. The two smiled at one another as they continued the dance, twirling around the room with the thrill and rush of the music. They only stopped and parted when they found it difficult to stand much longer, and had to go to bed before the morning's journey onward.


	5. The Storm and What Came of It

**Sorry for not writing for so long! My life is too busy. Hopefully you all haven't abandoned me! I promise to write more. Hopefully I'll be able to finish by the end of summer. Enjoy!**

* * *

The next morning, very solemn farewells were spoken, and a crowd had assembled to see the _Dawn Treader_ off. There were cheers and tears when Caspian made a farewell speech to the Lone Islanders and when the company said goodbye to the Lord, now Duke, Bern and his family, but as the ship, her purple sails standing out vibrantly against the rising sun, and the sound of the trumpet from the shore grew softer and softer, everyone became silent. It was dull for a moment, the faces of those on board long and dull. Susan could only give Caspian a sad smile as she stood next to him. Even Lucy couldn't find a cheerful word to say. Then the ship was suddenly greeted by a burst of wind. The sails became full, a wave rolled beneath her, and the _Dawn Treader_ was a ship again. She turned around the south of Avra to continue her journey onwards.

"We could always come back," Caspian said hopefully as he leaned on the ship looking out at the island. "When we've had our adventure and found all my father's friends. We could come back and have a merry time once more."

"I would like that," Susan mused. "Duke Bern and his family are the most happy people I've met. The feast they put on for us was lovely."

"Yes, it was." Caspian closed his eyes briefly and remembered how Susan felt in his arms as they spun around the room, her warm breath on his neck, her blue eyes locked with his, her arms tight around his waist, her slender body shaking with laughter.

"Susan," he said abruptly, pulling himself out of his daydream.

"Yes?" she responded innocently.

Looking around and seeing that they were quite alone, most of the company being in galley, Caspian continued. "Susan." He smiled has he said her name, as it sweetly fell off his tongue. "I really need to tell you something."

"I'm listening," she smiled.

"When you left, I…after you had gone…not a day has passed during which I haven't thought of you. "

"You are always on my mind as well, Caspian," Susan confessed. "Every moment of every day." She sighed and looked out at the horizon. "I didn't want to leave you. If it were in my power, I would have stayed here with you. I wouldn't have gone back. And then Aslan told me that I could never come back…"

"But here you are," Caspian mused.

"I don't know how long it will last," Susan whispered. "I cannot say how long I will be able to stay this time."

"Susan," Caspian said, turning Susan to face him. "I still love you. I love you as much today as I did the day you left. I have loved you every day since we met, and I will continue to love you for the rest of my life. Even if you were to leave me tomorrow, nothing would change."

"Let us hope that I don't," Susan smiled. "I feel the same way. I love you, Caspian, as I always have and always will. But our days are numbered. They always will be."

Caspian pulled Susan close to him, brushing her hair out of her face and resting a hand on her cheek. "Then let us spend them together."

Susan smiled at him and nodded in agreement. Caspian moved his thumb to stroke her lips. They were soft as silk and parted slightly at his touched, just has he had remembered. Unable to contain himself for a moment longer, Caspian kissed Susan passionately, holding her tightly to him. She responded, kissing him back with all that she had, wrapping one arm around his waist and using the other hand to hold his face. Their lips continued to move together as the sun rose over the _Dawn Treader_.

Then next few days were delightful. Susan and Caspian being openly affectionate with one another gave a sort of cheer to the whole company. Susan felt as though she was the most fortunate girl in the world. Everyone was pleased. The company awoke each morning to a bright and blue sky and air that grew warmer with each day.

Lucy was spending a good amount of time with Reepicheep, sitting on the little bench in the stern playing chess. It was amusing to see him lifting the pieces, which were far too large for him, with both paws and standing on tiptoe if he mad a move near the center of the board. Lucy often won, however, because the mouse's head was much to full of forlorn hopes, death-or-glory charges, and last stands to be burdened with the trifle of chess.

But this pleasant time did not last. There came an evening where Susan, glazing idly astern while holding Caspian's arm, saw a rack of clouds building in the west with amazing speed. Then a gap was torn in it and a yellow sunset poured the gap. All the waves behind them seemed to take on unusual shapes and the sea was a drab or yellow color, much like a dirty canvas. The air grew cold and the ship seemed to move uneasily, feeling the danger pulse behind her. The sail would be flat and limp one minute and then wildly full the next. Susan was just about to voice her concerns to Caspian when Drinian called for all hands on deck. With a look of concern, she allowed Caspian to lead her to the center of the deck. Soon, the ship became frantically busy. The hatches were battened down, the galley fire was put out, and men went aloft to reef the sail. Before they had finished, the storm had hit them. It seemed to Susan as though a great valley in the sea opened just before their bow, and they rushed down into it deeper down that she would have believed possible. A great gray hill of water, higher than the mast, rushed to meet them. It looked like certain death, but they were tossed onto the top of it. Then the ship seemed to spin around. A cataract of water poured over the deck. The poop and forecastle were like two islands with a fierce sea between them. Up aloft, the sailors were lying out along the yard desperately trying to get control of the sail. A broken rope stood out sideways in the wind as straight and stiff as if it were a poker.

"Susan, take Lucy and get yourselves below," Caspian called.

"Will you be alright?" Susan shouted back, grabbing Lucy by the hand.

"Yes, I'll be fine! I'll look after Edmund. Get yourselves below! I love you."

All the next day and all the next it went on. It went on till one could hardly even remember a time before it had begun. And there always had to be three men at the tiller and it was as much as three could do to keep any kind of course. And there always had to be men at the pump. And nothing could be dried, and one man was lost overboard, and they never saw the sun. Caspian spent what time he could with Susan in her cabin, while she spent most of her time comforting the frightened Lucy.

All the while Eustace was a nuisance to the entirety of the crew. He called the storm a hurricane, complaining about the enormous waters every night and every day for the thirteen days that it lasted. He often pointed out how unintelligent those on the ship were, not even possessing a rocket or flare to signal their distress. He was, like all other men on board the ship, put to work, and complained about being treated as a slave, having many a word to say about the shortened rations and general lack of sleep. Things turned especially sour the night that the mast was lost.

After a few dreadful days had passed, the winds begun to die down. Drinian had had the crew fashion a jury-mast, by stetting the bowsprit upright and lashing it to what was left of the real mast. This allowed the _Dawn Treader _to catch a bit of wind from the west, putting it further east in its travels. The next morning, the crew spotted a mountain-like mass of land far off to the southeast. Feeling completely drained, the ship headed towards the island. Three days later late in the evening, the _Dawn Treader_ landed in the bay of the island, but no one was allowed to go ashore on Caspian's orders because it was quite dark and everyone deserved a rest.

When morning came, the ship found itself enclosed in a bay surrounded cliffs and crags that Susan was reminded of a Norwegian fjord. In front of them, at the head of the bay, there was some level land heavily overgrown with cedars and a rapid stream that plunged through them. Beyond that was a steep jagged ridge and beyond that a vague darkness of mountains which ran into dull-colored clouds so that you could not see their tops. The nearer cliffs were streaked here and there with white lines, which everyone knew to be waterfalls. Indeed the whole place was very silent and the water of the bay as smooth as glass. It reflected each and every detail of the cliffs. The scene would have been pretty in a picture but was quite a fearsome sight in real life. All stood on deck silent before it. It did not seem welcoming to visitors.

The whole ship's company went ashore in two boatloads and everyone drank and washed deliciously in the river. Susan basked in the cool water of the stream. It felt marvelous to be able to splash around and stretch her legs after being confined to her cabin on board for so long. Feeling refreshed after a nice wash and swim, she slipped back into her clothes and walked along the river back to where the rest of the crew was meeting. On her way, she caught a glimpse of Caspian in the water, shirtless. As he bathed himself, Susan could see each muscle in his chest flexing and relaxing. She wished to be in the water with him. Embarrassed at the though and feeling her cheeks growing rather warm, Susan hurried along to the rest of the crew as to not be caught spying by Caspian.

All the members of the ship shared a nice hearty meal on the shore, followed by some much needed rest. Susan dosed off for quite some time with her head on Caspian's lap. When most people awoke and began to stir, Caspian sent four men back to the ship and the day's work begun. And, my, was there much to do! The casks had to be brought ashore and the faulty ones mended if possible and all refilled. A tree—a pin if they could get it—must be felled and made into a new mast. Sails must be repaired. A hunting party had to be organized to shoot any game on the island. Clothes had to be washed and mended. There were also countless small breakages that the ship had received from the storm, and those had to be mended as well. The _Dawn Treader_ hardly looked like the same ship that had departed from Narrowhaven. She was quite crippled and discolored and looked almost like a wreck.

Eustace lay under a tree and heard all of these plans and felt his heart sink. Was there going to be no rest? It looked as if their first day on the longed-for land was going to be quite as hard work as a day at sea. Then a delightful idea occurred to him. Nobody was looking, being too busy with dividing tasks. Why couldn't he simply slip away? He would take a stroll inland, find a cool, airy place up in the mountains, have a good long sleep, and not rejoin the others until the day's work was over. He felt it would do him good. But he would take great care to keep the bay and the ship in sight so as to be sure of his way back. He wouldn't like to be left behind in this country.

He at once put his plan into action. He rose quietly from his place and walked away among the trees, taking care to go slowly and in an aimless manner so that anyone who saw him would think he was merely stretching his legs. He was surprised to find how quickly the noise of conversation died away behind him and how very silent and warm and dark green the wood became. Soon he felt he could venture on a quicker and more determined stride.

This soon brought him out of the wood. The ground began sloping steeply up in front of him. The grass was dry and slippery but manageable if he used his hands as well as his feet, and thought he panted and mopped his forehead a good deal, he climbed away steadily. This showed, by the way, that his new life, even though he didn't suspect it, had done him some good; the old Eustace would have given up on the climb after about ten minutes.

Slowly, and with several rests, he reached the ridge. Here he had expected to have a view into the heart of the island, but the clouds had now come lower and nearer and a sea of fog was rolling to meet him. He sat down and looked back. He was now so high that the bay looked quite small beneath him and miles of smooth sea were visible. Then, the fog from the mountains closed in all around him. It was thick, but not cold. He lay down and turned this way and that to find the most comfortable position to lay in.

But he didn't really enjoy himself, or at least not for very long. He began, almost for the first time in his life, to feel very lonely. At first this feeling grew very gradually, and then it came to worry him all the time. He could not hear the slightest sound, no matter how much he strained his ears. Suddenly it occurred to him that he could have very well been lying there for hours. What if the others had left without him? Perhaps they had let him wander away on purpose simply to leave him behind! He lept up in a panic and began the descent.

At first, he tried too quickly, slipped on the steep grass, and slid for several feet. Then he thought this had carried him too far to the left and as he came up he had seen precipices on that side. So he clambered up again, as near as he could guess to the place he had started from, and began the descent afresh, bearing to his right. After that, things seemed to be going better. He went very cautiously, for he could not see more than a yard ahead, and there was still perfect silence all around him. It is very unpleasant to have to go cautiously when a voice inside your head is telling you to hurry all the time. For every moment the terrible idea of being left behind grew stronger. If he had understood Caspian and the Pevensies at all, he would had known, of course, that there was not the slightest chance of their doing any such thing. But he had persuaded himself that they were all fiends in human form.

"At last!" exclaimed Eustace as he cam slithering down the slide of loose stones and found himself on the level. "And now, where are those trees? There is something dark ahead…Why, I do believe the fog is clearing!"

And indeed it was. The light increased every moment and made him blink. The fog lifted. He was in an utterly unknown valley and the sea was nowhere in sight.


	6. The Adventures of Eustace

At that very moment, the others were washing their hands and faces in the river and were generally getting ready for dinner and a rest. The three best archers, Susan among them, had gone up into the hills north of the bay and returned laden with a pair of wild goats, which were now roasting over the fire for dinner. Caspian had ordered a cask of wine ashore, strong wine of Archenland, which had to be mixed with water before you drank it, so that there would be plenty for all. The work had gone well so far and it was a merry meal. Susan dined at Caspian's side and the two were quite contented. Only after a second helping of goat did Edmund observe, "Where's that blighter Eustace?"

Meanwhile the boy in question stared round the unknown valley. It was so narrow and deep, and the precipices which surrounded it so sheer, that it was like a huge pit or trench. The floor was grassy though strewn with rocks, and here and there Eustace saw black burnt patches like those you see on the sides of a railway embankment in a dry summer. There was, at first, nothing else at all in the valley. Not an animal, not a bird, not an insect. The sun beat down, and grim peaks and horns of mountains peered over the valley's edge.

Eustace realized of course that in the fog that he had come down the wrong side of the ridge, so he turned at once to see about getting back. But as soon as he had looked he shuddered. He had apparently had amazing luck in finding the only possible way down: a long, green spit of land, horribly steep and narrow with precipices on either side. There was no other possible way of getting back. But could he do it, now that he saw what it was really like? His head swam at the very thought of making that climb.

He turned around again, thinking that at any rate he'd better have a good drink from the pool first. But as soon as he had turned and before he had taken a step forward into the valley, he heard a noise behind him. It was only a very small noise, but it sounded loud in the immense and until then unbroken silence. Then he slewed around his neck and looked.

At the bottom of the cliff a little on his left hand was a low, dark hole, the entrance to a cave perhaps. And out of this two thin wisps of smoke were coming. And the loose stones just beneath the dark hollow were moving just as if something were crawling in the dark behind them.

In fact, something was crawling. Worse still, something was coming out. Susan, Edmund, or Lucy, or even you, would have recognized it at once. Unfortunately for Eustace, he had read none of the right books. The thing that came out of the cave was something that he had never seen before. It had a long snout, dull legs, cruel claws, bat's wings, and a very long tail. The lines of smoke were coming from its nostrils. Eustace had never said the word "dragon" to himself before. Nor would it have made him feel any better if he had.

But perhaps if he had known something about dragons, he would have been a bit surprised at this one's behavior. It did not sit up and clap its wings, nor did it shoot out a stream of flame from its mouth. The smoke from its nostrils was like the smoke from a fire that is about to go out. The old dragon did not seem to have noticed Eustace. It moved very slowly towards the pool. Even in his fear, Eustace felt that it was an old, sad creature. He wondered if he dared make a dash for the ascent. But it might look round if he made any noise. It might come more to life. Perhaps it was only shamming. Anyway, what was the use of trying to escape by climbing when the beast could fly?

It reached the pool and slid its horribly scaly chin down over the gravel to drink, but before it had drunk, there came a great croaking or clanging cry. After a few twitches and convulsions, it rolled round on its side and lay perfectly still with one claw in the air. A little dark blood gushed from its wide opened mouth. The smoke from its nostrils turned black for a moment and then floated away. No more came.

For a long time, Eustace did not dare to move. Perhaps this was the brute's trick, the way it lured travelers to their doom. But one couldn't wait forever. He took a step nearer, then two steps, and halted again. The dragon remained motionless; he noticed too that the red fire had gone out of its eyes. At last he came up to it. He was quite sure now that it was dead. With a shudder he touched it. Nothing happened.

The relief was so great that Eustace almost laughed out loud. He felt as though he had fought and killed the dragon himself. He stepped over it and went to the pool for his own drink. It was growing quite warm, and before he knew it, thunder clapped and big drops of rain were falling.

The climate of this island was a rather unpleasant one. In less than a minute Eustace was wet to the bone and blinded with such rain as one never sees in Europe. There was no use trying to climb out of the valley as long as this lasted. He bolted for the only shelter in sight – the cave.

Now, most of us know what to expect to find in a dragon's lair, but, as previously mentioned, Eustace had read the wrong books. They had a lot to say about exports and imports and governments and drains, but they were quite weak on dragons. That is why he was so puzzled at the surface on which he was lying. Parts of it were too prickly to be stones and too hard to be thorns. There were many round, flat things. He picked one up and brought it to the light at the mouth of the cave. Of course, Eustace found it to be what any of us could have told him in advance – treasure.

Unlike most boys, Eustace had never thought much of treasure, but he saw at once the use it would be in this new world which he had so foolishly fallen into via the picture in Susan and Lucy's bedroom. He thought of how this land had no tax, so he would be able to keep all of the money to himself. He would have quite a decent time in doing so, and wondered how much of the treasure he could carry. He shoved things up his sleeves and into his pockets. After he was finished, he decided it would be best to wait for the rain to stop. But a bad fright, once it is over, and especially a bad fright following a mountain walk, leaves you very tired. Eustace fell asleep.

By the time he was sound asleep and snoring, the others had finished their supper and were beginning to become seriously alarmed about his absence. They shouted Eustace's name until they were hoarse, and Caspian blew his horn.

"He's nowhere near, or he'll have heard that," Susan observed.

"Confounded fellow," said Edmund. "What on earth did he want to slink away like this for?"

"But we must do something," Lucy added. "He may have gotten lost, or fallen into a hole, or captured by savages."

"Or killed by wild beasts," Drinian observed.

"And good riddance, I must say," muttered Rhince.

"Master Rhince," said Reepicheep, "you never spoke a word that became you less. The creature is no friend of mine, but he is of the same blood as our two Queens and our King, and while he is one of our fellowship it concerns our honor to find him and avenge him if he is dead."

"Of course we're going to find him, if we can," agreed Caspian. "That's the nuisance of it. It means a search party and endless trouble. Bother Eustace."

Meanwhile, Eustace slept and slept and slept some more. What finally woke him was the pain in his arm. The moon was shining at the mouth of the cave, and the bed of treasures seemed to have grown more comfortable. He was puzzled by the pain in his arm at first, but then it occurred to him that one of the bracelets he had shoved up his sleeve had become strangely tight. His arm must have swollen while he slept.

He moved his right arm in order to feel his left, which the tightened bracelet was on, but stopped before he had moved an inch in terror. For just in front of him, and a little on his right, where the moonlight fell clear on the floor of the cave, he saw a hideous shape moving. It was a dragon's claw. It had moved as he moved his hand and had became still when he stopped moving.

"Oh, what a fool I've been," thought Eustace. "Of course, the brute had a mate and it's lying beside me."

For several minutes, he did not dare move. He saw two thin columns of smoke going up before his eyes, black against the moonlight, just as there had been smoke coming from the other dragon before it had died. This was so alarming that he held his breath. The two columns of smoke vanished. When he could hold his breath no longer, he let it out stealthily. Instantly, two jets of smoke appeared again. But even yet he had no idea of what was really going on.

Presently he decided that he would edge very cautiously to his left and try to creep out of the cave. Perhaps the beast was asleep, and this was his only chance. But of course before he edged to the left, he looked in that direction. The dragon's claw was on that side too!

No one will blame Eustace if at this moment he shed some tears. He was surprised at the size of his own tears as he saw them splashing on to the treasure in front of him. They also seemed strangely hot, with steam coming up from them.

But there was no good crying. He must try to crawl out from between the two dragons. He began extending his right arm. The dragon's foreleg and claw on his right went through exactly the same motion. Then he thought he would try his left. The dragon limb on that side moved too,

Two dragons, one on each side, mimicking whatever he did! His nerve broke and he simply made a bolt for it.

There was such a clatter and rasping and clinking of gold and grinding of stones as he rushed out of the cave that he thought they were both following him. He daren't look back. He rushed for the pool. The twisted shape of the dead dragon lying in the moonlight would have been enough to frighten anyone but now he hardly noticed it. His idea was to get into the water.

But just as he reached the pool's edge, two things happened. First of all it came over him like a thunder clap that he had been running on all fours. Secondly, as he bent towards the water, he thought for a second that yet another dragon was staring up at him from the pool. But in an instant he realized the truth. The dragon reflection was his own. There was no doubt of it.

He had turned into a dragon while he was asleep. Sleeping on a dragon's hoard with greedy, dragonish thoughts in his heart, he had become a dragon himself.

That explained everything. There had been no two dragons beside him in the cave. The claws to his right and to his left had been his own. The bracelet felt so tight on his arm because it had grown in his metamorphosis. It had sunk deep into his scaly flesh and there was a throbbing bulge on each side of it. He tore at the place with his dragon's teeth but could not get it off.

In spite of the pain his first feeling was one of relief. There was nothing to be afraid of anymore. He was a terror and no one except perhaps a brave knight would attack him now. He could get even with Caspian and Edmund…

But the moment he thought this, he realized that he didn't want to. He wanted to be friends. He wanted to get back among humans and talk and laugh and share things. He realized that he was a monster cut off from the whole human race. An appalling loneliness came over him. He began to see that the others had not really been friends at all. He began to wonder if he himself had been such a nice person as he had always supposed. He longed for their voices. He would have been grateful for a kind word even from Reepicheep.

When he though of this the poor dragon that had been Eustace lifted up its voice and wept. A powerful dragon crying its eyes out under the moon in a deserted valley is a sight and sound hardly to be imagined.

At last he decided that he would try to find his way back to the shore. He realized now that Caspian would never have sailed away and left him. And he felt sure that somehow or other he would be able to make people understand who he was.

He took a long drink and, shockingly, ate nearly all of the dead dragon. He was halfway through it before he realized what he was doing. You see, though his mind was the mind of Eustace, his tastes and his digestion were dragonish. And there is nothing a dragon likes so well as fresh dragon. That is why there are seldom more than one in the same country.

Then he turned to climb out of the valley. He begun the climb with a jump and as soon as he jumped he found that he was flying. His wings pleasantly surprised him. He rose high into the air and saw innumerable mountaintops spread out beneath him in the moonlight. He could see the bay and the _Dawn Treader_ lying at anchor, and campfires twinkling in the woods beside the beach. From a great height he launched himself down towards them in a single glide.

Lucy was sleeping very soundly for she had sat up until the return of the search party, which was led by Caspian and had returned very late and very weary. Their news was disquieting. They had found no trace of Eustace but had found the dead dragon. They tried to make the best of it and everyone assured everyone else that it was not likely that more dragons were about. Caspian held Susan, and each took turns coming up with hopes of comforting the other. "Perhaps he hiked further than our party searched." "Maybe he is fast asleep in a tree." "He could be tucked away in some hidden cave somewhere."

Rhince thought that the dead dragon had eaten Eustace and had died from poisoning. He chose not to voice this thought allowed, however, so it went unheard, which was probably the best for morale at this point.

But later in the night Lucy was wakened, very softly, and found the whole company gathered close together and talking in whispers.

"What is it?" said Lucy, wiping the sleep from her eyes.

"We must all show great constancy," Caspian was saying. "A dragon has just flown over the treetops and lighted on the beach. Yes, I am afraid it is between us and the ship. An arrows are no use against dragons," Caspian directed at Susan, who looked like she was about to ask a question.

"With your Majesty's leave," Reepicheep began.

"No, Reep, you are not to attempt a single combat with it. And unless you promise to obey me in this matter I'll have you tied up. We must just keep close watch, and as soon as it is light, go down to the beach and give it battle. I will lead. King Edmund will be on my right and Drinian on my left. Susan, I'd rather that you didn't fight, but since I know there'll be no stopping you, you can lead a second line of men. There are no other arrangements to be made. It will be light in a couple of hours. In an hour's time let a meal be served out and what is left of the wine. And let everything be done silently."

As the group disbanded, Caspian took Susan's hand and held her back. They were left alone as the group began to make preparations.

"Perhaps it will just leave," Susan mused hopefully, standing facing Caspian with both of her hands in his.

"That would be worse," was his solemn answer, "because then we shan't know where it is."

Susan smiled sadly and looked down.

"I need you to be brave, Susan," Caspian willed.

"The only thing that frightens me is the though of losing you," Susan said, looking up with tears in her eyes.

Caspian placed both hands on her face and kissed her deeply. "That isn't anything you have to worry about. I fight for you, Susan. I fight to come back to you."

Susan smiled through her tears and wrapped her arms around Caspian's neck. Caspian took her by the waste, pulling her close, and the two shared a kiss so passionate and beautiful that if anyone else had seen it, he or she would have felt extremely embarrassed and like an intruder.

The rest of the night was dreadful, and when the meal came, though they knew they ought to eat, many found they had very poor appetites. Endless hours seemed to pass before the darkness thinned and birds began chirping here and there and the world got colder and wetter than it had been all night and Caspian said, "Now for it, friends."

They all got up, with swords drawn, and formed themselves into two lines, with Lucy next to Susan in the second. Caspian turned around and gave Susan a smile and a nod, letting her know that he loved her and there was nothing to fear. Susan returned the gesture. A moment later, they were marching. It grew lighter and the came to the edge of the wood. And there, on the sand, like a giant lizard, or a flexible crocodile, or a serpent with legs (depending on how you look at it) lay the dragon.

But when it saw them, instead of rising up and blowing fire and smoke, the dragon retreated back into the shallows of the bay.

"What's it wagging it's head like that for?" asked Susan.

"And now it's nodding," observed Caspian.

"And there's something coming from its eyes," said Drinian.

"Oh, can't you see?" exclaimed Lucy. "It's crying, those are tears!"

"I shouldn't trust that," said Edmund. "That's what crocodiles do, just to put you off guard."

"It wagged its head when you said that," said Susan cautiously. "Just as if it meant 'No.' Look, there it goes again."

"Do you think it understands what we're saying?" Lucy asked.

The dragon nodded its head.

Reepicheep stepped to the front. "Dragon," came his shrill voice, "Can you understand speech?"

It nodded.

"Can you speak?"

It shook its head.

"Then it is idle to ask you your business. But if you will swear friendship with us, raise your left foreleg above your head."

It did so, but clumsily because that leg was sore and swollen with the bracelet.

"Oh, look!" cried Lucy. "There's something wrong with its' leg. The poor thing! That's probably what it was crying about. Perhaps it came to us to be cured."

"Be careful, Lucy," said Caspian. "It's a very clever dragon but it may be a liar."

Lucy had, however, already run forward, escaping from Susan, who tried to catch the back of her dress. Reepicheep followed as fast as his short legs could carry him, and soon everyone else followed as well.

"Show me your poor paw," Lucy said. "I might be able to cure it."

The dragon, that had been Eustace, held out its sore leg gladly enough, remembering how Lucy's cordial had cued him of sea-sickness before he became a dragon. But he was disappointed. The magic fluid reduced the swelling and eased the pain a bit but could not dissolve to gold.

Everyone had now crowded round to watch the treatment, and Caspian suddenly exclaimed, "Look!" He was staring at the bracelet.


End file.
